Patent GB-498368-A (GB)
Title: A coin operated machine for vending articles stored in piles
IPC: G07F11/54
Filed: 1938-01-29
Abstract: 498,368. Coin - freed article delivery apparatus. BRYAN, W. E. Jan. 29, 1938, Nos. 2865 and 12296. [Class 27] Articles stored in piles coin action, weight; returning coin.-In a coin-freed vending machine in which articles, such as postcards, are mounted in packs on a carrier so as to be visible to the customer and in which coin-freed mechanism is provided for withdrawing the top article from a selected pack and delivering it, a device is provided which functions, on successful operation of the withdrawal mechanism, to deliver the inserted coin to a receptacle within the machine, but which acts, in the event of unsuccessful operation, to return the coin to the exterior of the machine to be recovered by the customer. The packs of postcards 11, Fig. 1, are held by wires 12 on a display carrier 10 rotatable by a hand wheel 13. A further hand control (not shown) rotates a pulley 15 to raise or lower an arm 16 and bring a pneumatic sucker 14 opposite a desired pack, the arm being attached to a belt 17 passing over pulleys 15, 18, and being slidably but non- rotatably mounted on a support 20. A coin is then inserted in a shoot 21 and tilts a counterbalanced lever 25 carrying a mercury switch 29, the coin remaining on the end of the lever. An electric motor is thereby started to drive a shaft 30 which by a crank 31 actuates the piston-rod 32 of a suction pump 33 connected by a pipe 34, balance cylinder 35, filter 36, and pipe 37 to the sucker 14. The shaft 30, also, through gears 38, 40, drives a shaft 41 having a cam 42 which is moved clear of a roller 43 on a spring-pressed lever 44 connected by a link 47 to an arm 48 on the support 20. The support 20 is thereby rocked to bring the sucker 14 into contact with the top card of the selected pack. When the rod 44 is rocked back, the sucker withdraws the top card. A roller 55 on the cam rocks a bell-crank lever 56 thereby raising an arm 59 carrying the pulley 18 and releasing the tension of the belt 17 so that the arm 16 and sucker with attached card drops to a position above a delivery shoot. The suction also draws down a piston 49 into the cylinder 35 to withdraw an abutment 54 from beneath the coin -shoot 21. The bellcrank 56 through a link 60 rocks the shoot 21 against the action of a spring 23 to carry the coin off the end of lever 25, and allow it to drop to a money-box. If a card has not been withdrawn, the piston 49 is not moved and the abutment 54 remains in the position shown, so that the dropping coin is directed by a ramp 63 to the exterior of the machine. The roller 55 near the end of the cycle of operation displaces a bell-crank lever 64 to open a valve 67 in the cylinder 35, thus causing the card to drop from the sucker into the delivery shoot. The sucker may be made of very flexible material so that it will flatten out and the suction be effective only over the area of the hole in the sucker, thus preventing more than one card from being withdrawn at a time. Alternatively, a valve 69, Fig. 5, normally held open by a spring 70 may be provided in the suction hole. When the sucker makes contact with a card, the valve will be closed so relieving the suction.